[swtour]

While some people don't like to hear about our 'series', I get enough positive pm's and emails from people across the country who feel the opposite...so here's a little something I found searching our records.

We haven't had "regular" Carpet Oval racing in Southern Calif. for many years, so it's not something our guys have had a lot of experience with, although we do have several who have been good at it when they travel.

Last season we had most of our expert class running 17.5/2s Lipo, and our Sportsman guys were mostly running the 21.5/2s class.

On 07-27-2008 Erik Steenhoven drove Carlton Duty's 21.5 car at Lindsay for a heat, when Carlton had to leave. (For those who don't know Erik, he is one of THE BEST on the WEST Coast)

His run was the fastest in the 21.5 class up to that point, by nearly a lap. Here's the progression over the past year.

7/27/2008 72/5:03.73 Erik Steenhoven

9/13/2008 72/5:03.18 Bryan Blaser

11/17/2008 72/5:02.22 Paul Cathey

Calif - Snowbird Warm-Up - Non Series Race @ Lindsay

1/18/2009 75/5:00.28 Brett Patti (Sportsman)
1/18/2009 77/5:02.26 Scot Petitclerc (Expert)

3/22/2009 75/5:03.02 Bryan Myers (Sportsman)
3/22/2009 77/5:01.33 Ken Collins (Expert)

5/16/2009 76/5:03.12 Art Hernandez (Sportsman)
5/16/2009 76/5:01.95 Ken Collins (Expert)

7/11/2009 75/5:00.93 Keith Brown (Sportsman)
7/11/2009 78/5:00.44 Jeff (HUMPTY) Helms (Expert)

9/12/2009 76/5:01.88 Brett Patti (Sportsman) ** Ifmar Start
9/12/2009 79/5:03.48 Erik Steenhoven (Expert) **Ifmar Start

** ON Sept 12th we started using IFMAR starts, which causes the first lap to be a complete lap instead of a fast lap, and both classes went faster than previous runs.

In just over 1 year, Steenhoven makes a run 7 laps faster than his first 21.5 run, with the same basic equipment. (Motor/Battery)

Add to this, the car he ran 72 laps with at the race in 2008 now belongs to Brad Muther, who is running the car "AS WAS" when he acquired it with which he's picked up to a

73/5:00.09 Brad Muther, and is still learning his setups, and lost 3/4 of a lap when he bicycled the car.

IMHO it's so cool to see a progression as guys continue to learn and refine setups.

 

[sprintr64]

Joe, LMAO watch out you might get attacked again lol

 

[swtour]

NOTE: These were not the event TQ's, but the FASTEST runs in the class (I don't count MAIN EVENT RUNS as TQ's) and some of these were MAIN runs.

The other interesting thing I saw was that it's almost always someone different who gets the FAST run.

 

[swtour]

a few more interesting series tidbits for this season -- ONLY ONE driver has won more than ONCE in our "Sportsman" Division 21.5 class. This is our biggest class every month, and very competitive. These guys battle each other great, and best of all put on a great SHOW every time.

2009 Sportsman 21.5 "A" Main Winners

Frank Valentino
Bryan Myers
Brian Bond
Arnold Brittain
John Miles
Arnold Brittain
Keith Brown

and the best 8 of 10 series points (with 2 throwouts already calculated) we have a very tight points battle with 3 races left in our '09 season.

497 Brian Bond - Stryker
496 Art Hernandez - KSG G3
494 Brett Patti - KSG G3
492 Bryan Myers - Stryker
489 Keith Brown - Stryker
480 Tim Twyman - KSG G3
476 Brad Muther - Stryker
476 Frank Valentino - HD (pro3 - pro4)
475 Dave Barber - KSG G3
472 Arnold Brittain - Stryker
472 John Miles - KSG G3 / HD Pro4

 

[Racin'Jason 8]

Just curious...was the carpet new/green in 7/08 due to the lack of carpet racing??

 

[SMROCKET]

Joe < Great to see that racers do learn how to go faster as they have time with the chassis . I know you get beat on here sometimes but keep plugging away and I dont want to see 2s lipos go away but thats what the masses have asked for ...We have not yet seen the time when people start to understand how less voltage to the speedo changes everything ..Most speedos were designed for 7.4 volts not 3.7 .. It came to light at the vegas race and will change oval for ever ... Its time to sell all my stuff and wait until this works itself thru ... Good luck Joe and keep the racing alive in Cali ... I lived in Lajolla for 6 years and raced at the ranch pit shop in Delmar with many world class off road racers ....Have a great day SRM

 

[swtour]

racin' jason

The carpet WE now use, is probably 3-4 years old now(maybe older). It came from STOCKTON R/C, where Ruben B (Roar's COMP Director) Ran both On-Road and Oval Races for a couple years.)

IMHO the speed increases have come as these guys learn their setups, and as a group of racers they work SO Awesome with each other to get each other faster, and get the competition really tight.

Erik Steenhoven and Gary Hamilton have given a lot of help, but Hamilton was actually struggling - he's back on track NOW.

HUMPTY has also helped out a lot...

But there's others - some I'm sure I don't even know who helps who but

Joe Blackburn
Bryan Blaser
Scot Petitclerc
Tony Gammel

Here's a QUOTE from Keith Brown (21.5 Sportsman "A" Main WINNER and Qualied P2) when asked about the equipment HE used to win the event.

"I had an old GTB Reman, Old 21.5 reman, and my original 3200. Settup,driveline, and clean racing pays big.

MAIN TOP (5)

Race# 6 -- 21.5 SPORTSMAN - A Main --

1 - 76/5:02.27 Keith Brown
2 - 76/5:02.55 Brett Patti
3 - 76/5:03.94 Tony Gammel
4 - 75/5:02.09 Bryan Myers
5 - 74/5:00.22 John Card

ROCKET

LaJolla - one of the MOST Beautiful BEACH CITIES in California!!
and the RANCH - What an Awesome place to CLUB RACE with 6-8 "WORLD CHAMPIONS" every month!!

Thanks!!

 

[sprintr64]

Joe,

Thanks for bringing that up, Help from others help make the hobby what it is today, I have tons to thank, Larry Ruby, Uncle Buck, Gary Hamilton, Paul Cathy, Eric Steenhoven, Joe Blackburn, Frank Killam, Jason Hastings, Muddslide Motorsports, Team Tekin, John's BSR Tires, Dave Irrgang & Team IRS, Joe & The SWT staff, Jimmy Babcock, Kenny Collins, Jeff Helms, Steve Taffert, Sam Halupka and many others.
Thank you for an awsome 2009, and believing for an even better 2010. This is the kind of help you can get if you ask from setup's to how to make the car handle, The list of people who have been helping have more combined championships out on the west, not counting the total years of exrerience, who that is first class. The other thing is people say to watch out to much information will dial you out not with these guys all information given is right on and all have given the same information to help dial you in not out.
Car setup is 95 % of going fast and the driving makes up the rest you can have a lightning fast car but if you cannot keep a consistant drive line your not going to be up front . Thanks for everything.